Tiled construction



' June 27, 1933. Q E GRIGSBY 1,916,136

TILED CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 13, 1930 E i-Z 6 jli In qerrf'a/ Patented June 27, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OWEN E. GBIGSIBY, OF PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS,

ABBIGNOBQ'BY MEBNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

PORCELAIN TILE CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELL- WARE TILED CONSTRUCTION Application filed November is, 1.980. semi No. 495,818.

This invention relates to the production of tiled surfaces and more especially to a mcthdd of and a'means for producing units articularly adapted for use where relative y large areas are to be tiled, as in the case of exterior walls, corridors, ceilin s, and tiled surfaves around built-in bathtu s, fire places and store counters.

A particular object of the invention is to reduce the amount of handwork and especially the handwork required to be done on the b.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of an apparatus which may be employed in carrying out the resent invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one element of said apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a form of tile which may be employed in carrying out the invention.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a unit composed of tiles of the kind illustrated in Fig. 3.

For a general understanding of the type of tiled construction to which the present invention relates, reference may be made to the Haincs Patents Nos. 1,594,614 and 1,686,812. Generally stated, this type of construction comprises a foundation sheet which is intended to be secured to a supporting structure, the face of the sheet being covered with a multiplicity of tiles.

The foundation sheet 1 may be of any suitable eharacter, as, for example, mineral or fibrous material, and ofany desired thickness affording suflicient rigidity. The vertical dimension of the foundation sheet is preferably a multiple of the width of a tile plus suitable allowance for the grouting oi cement between adjacent tiles. The horizontal dimension of the sheet may be approximatel a multiple of sixteen inches, since that 1s the usual spacing of the studdings ordinarily employed in the construction of frame walls. In practice, the sheet is approximately four feet by five feet in silze, taut any other suitable size may be emp o e he tiles are preferably of the general type disclosed in said Haines patents, that'is to say, each tile consists of a sheet-metal plate 2 having integral marginal flanges 3 the, outer face of the plate and the flanges being coated with vitreous enamel. The flanges need be only wide enough so that the enamel shall extend over all exposed ortions, onesixteenth to three-thirty-seconds oi an inch being sufiicient. The tiles may be oblong, sqfiiare, or of any other convenient shape. 'l ey may be of conventional size, as 3" x 6, or 4 214?, or of any other desired dimensions. intended fora plication to exterior walls, they may beand preferably are of relatively-large size.

I aim to reduce to a minimum the amount of work required to be done at the building where the tiled surfaces are to be rovided, and to substitute machine operations for handwork to as great an extent as possible. To thisend my invention contemplates that the tiles shall be secured to the foundation sheet by, means of apparatus illustrated more or less diagrammatically in Figs. 1 and 2. Said apparatus comprises a table 5 of the same general dimensions and form as the foundation sheet, said table having depressions 6 each of which is of suitable size and form to receive a single tile. As shown in the drawing, the depressions 6 are defined and spaced apart by means of ribs 7 whereby when tiles are placed in the depressions 6 they will be separated by distances corresponding to the width of the grouted joints commonly provided in tiled constructions. The ribs 7 may be considered to constitute guiding elements which serve to locate the inverted tiles in proper spaced relation to one another.

The apparatus further comprises means whereby a foundation sheet I laid upon a set of tiles positioned upon the table 5 may be forced into proper contact with said tiles. The means herein shown for this purpose comprises a head or ram 8 which may be raised or lowered by any preferred means.

It will be seen that the apparatus herein disclosed permits of forcing a foundation sheet 1 and a set of tiles into engagement with each other whereby, the tiles will be cemented to the sheet, the cement being applied in any convenient manner, as, for example, by sprayin the cement onto the backs of the tiles after t e latter have been placed in the depressions 6. If desired, the flanges on the tiles herein shown may be made somewhat narrower than those shown in the Haines Patent N 0. 1,594,614 and, if thought advisable, suflicient pressure may be exerted to embed the flanges slightly in the foundation sheet. v

The tiled panel upon removal from the press shown in Fig. 1 is laid aside until the cement has dried or set.

In erection, the tiled unit or panel is secured to the supporting structure by cementing the rear side of the foundation sheet to said structure or by driving nails through some of the spaces between the corners of the tiles, or by the employment of any other preferred means. The tiles are then pointed up, that is to say, the spaces or joints between the tiles are filled with cement as shown at 9-inoFig. 4. Erection is relative 1y rapid, since the material is handled in large panels or units.

It will be seen that the present invention obviates the necessity of forming grooves,

holes or other guiding elements in the foundation sheet. Moreover, the actual setting of the tiles, instead of being performed by skllled labor at the building, becomes a routine factory process.

I claim as my invention: The process of producinga tiled unit having as one element thereof a foundation sheet and as a second element a multiplicity of tiles covering the face of the sheet, which consists in supporting the multiplicity of tiles in inverted position and in proper spaced relation to one another, applying cement to one of the elements, and pressing said elements together.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

OWEN E. GRIGSBY. 

